a recent report has unusual significance for environmental professionals: iamerica's living oceans: charting a course for sea change. oceans, from the pew oceans commission, is a provocative overview of the utter inadequacies of current policy to protect marine ecosystems. although these ecosystems started the 20th century in good shape, their status at the start of the 21st century can only be described as disheartening and alarming. all of the good thinking in this special issue on conflict resolution will be needed to grapple with the issues raised by oceans!